Worst kept secret??

Dave_S139 returns with some thoughts on the managerial situation at Pompey.

Steve Cotterill appears to have emerged as favourite for the vacant Manager’s job at Portsmouth with Brendan Rodgers, once successful at Chelsea and more recently a failure at Reading, as his closest competitor. Andrew Andronikou has done his best to all but confirm an offer being made to Cotterill with certain comments that he has made to the Press so this could turn out to either be the latest worst kept secret at Pompey or a clever smoke screen prior to unveiling a surprise choice as soon as our new Chief Executive settles into his post next week.

So what do we make of Cotterill if indeed he does get appointed as Avram Grant’s successor?

The choice of Manager at a club rarely wins universal approval at a football club and certainly the vote appears to be very divided on who should be the next man at the helm if the poll in The News is anything to go by. My own opinion is that he is a better proposition than, for example, David James because I think we need somebody with at least some managerial experience to steady the ship right now.

He probably edges it over Rodgers because the former Chelsea man has mainly gained his experience at Youth Level and I suggest that his CV would present a similar picture to that of Paul Hart. Other possible candidates include Glen Hoddle, Gareth Southgate, Eddie Howe, Alan Curbishley and Paul Jewell. To be honest, links with Curbishley, Hoddle and Jewell, have been used so often in the past that they can quickly be dismissed. Gareth Southgate is a possibility I suppose. His roots are down in the South of England and of course he is keen to get back into football. He also has good experience but has he got the attributes to be a success? I’m not sure …… but then again I was critical of Tony Pulis a few years ago and couldn’t see him becoming a success anywhere either. As for Eddie Howe; if anybody deserves some success in the game it is Eddie Howe. So unlucky in his playing career it’s great to see him have such a good season with Bournemouth and, with more experience then he could be a ‘maybe’ but I think it’s too early. Oh, and Mourinho has gone to Real Madrid so we can forget that one too.

No doubt Andrew Andronikou will step forward and tell us all as soon as he can – if he hasn’t already done so.

Written by Dave_S139.

The views within this article are the views of the individual who wrote and submitted this piece, sometimes solely theirs. They are not necessarily shared by the Vital Pompey Site Journalists.

14 Replies to “Worst kept secret??”

A 78% win ratio at Notts County sounds like a pretty promising record to me… He’s a young manager who seems to have alot of drive an ambition, and for him to actively come out and say he wants us is really positive I think. Talk of Hoddle and Curbishly is fantasy, I feel, and even someone like Eddie Howe or Gus Poyet (two excellent managerial prospects) and probably out of the question too, as we’d need to buy out their contracts with their current clubs. Our real options, I believe, are Cotterill, Gareth Southgate, and perhaps Paul Ince, and I would be happy with any of them.

Not sure, Coterill has sucess at the lower levels, not convinced at higher levels. Would prefer Southgate, he was commited at Boro, seemed to be there for the long haul. We need a manager like that we can look to keep in place for some time. I bet a few Boro fans would take him back, since he left.

Southgate? I’d rather give him a miss (like a penalty miss, y’know, etc). If Pompey gets Cotterill I would probably regain that homely feeling I had when I heard the news of Avram returning to the club earlier last season.

I’d be quote pleased as I would take it as SC is known to be a bit like Martin ONeil, ambitious, likes to build a team, has a budget demand ( lol must be tiny) and is relatively succesfull. I’d see his appointment as a sign that the club is entering a period of stability as he wouldn’t come otherwise. I have to take issue with one part of your article Dave_S, Admin has put everbody in the frame as someone we are looking at; in fact I’m sure I heard your name on 5 live earlier.

wouldnt want southgate, it shows you what hes like as a manager, as when the most patient chairman in football (boros steve gibson) gets rid of you, the managerial career is over. awfully nice bloke tho

From what I’ve read about Cotterill he seems as good as we could possibly hope to get at the moment, good track record, able and keen to work within a nil budget and saying the right things about coming here. What are we waiting for?

Cotterill for me he will be used to working with little or no money & seems to get the best out of his players which is also a plus the omly thing he would be getting more of is us the fans we have a much bigger fan base than what he would be use to